Hardik Pandya being booed at Ahmedabad
From selling funny merchandise outside the stadium to bringing lollipops to the stands, fans have left no stone unturned when it comes to trolling the players of their teams. This article explores some of the most unforgettable moments when cricketers faced the brunt of fan fury — live, loud, and unforgiving — straight from the stands.
Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been involved in one of the most heated rivalries in the Indian Premier League lately, and this rivalry has not just been about what’s on the field between the players; it has also been for the fans. Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Chennai Super Kings in their last clash at the IPL 2024 season, marking their spot in the Qualifiers while eliminating CSK.
During the IPL 2025 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Chennai Super Kings at the Chepauk, which was also the 8th match of the tournament. CSK fans brought lollipops to the stadium, which came out as a troll to the RCB fans since they have not won even a single IPL trophy in history. But Royal Challengers Bengaluru had the upper hand in the game, defeating Chennai at its home ground by 50 runs in this clash.
CSK fans had already trolled RCB fans at the Chepauk, but it was also time for the latter to get the tables turned, as the next match between these two teams was about to be played at the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium. Outside the stadium, there were various stalls available where fans could purchase jerseys cheaply to support their favourite IPL team in the following game. However, one vendor sold jail t-shirts with 2016-17 written on the same.
This acted as a direct troll to the Chennai Super Kings fans, as the team suffered a two-season ban in the Indian Premier League, due to which they missed the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The board ahead of the seller was labelled as “Special RCB vs CSK Jersey” as various RCB fans bought it from him and wore it to support RCB and also troll CSK at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. This match was also intense between both teams, as CSK lost by 2 runs in a close game.
During the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, India and Australia already had various heated clashes on the field, including altercations between Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas, Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas, and many more. But there was another instance, where the Indian fans mocked the Australian team with a sandpaper, which indicated the Sandpaper Scandal, where Steven Smith and David Warner were banned internationally for a while.
In the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, an Indian fan showcased the sandpaper to the Australian team when they were fielding, which drew the attention of the crowd. Even some players of the Australian team noticed this incident, but the security came out quickly to move the fan out of the stadium following his actions.
Sunrisers Hyderabad announced its new captain for the IPL 2024 season as Pat Cummins, who is known popularly for his ability to silence the crowd, following the conclusion of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. During the IPL 2024, SRH had an impressive start with explosive players such as Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen, fueling their batting line-up.
Their second win of the season came against the five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, where Hyderabad was able to defeat them with ease and won by a margin of 6 wickets. One of the most memorable moments of the game was when the SRH fans did the iconic silent pose to the CSK army, following the poor performance of Chennai in the game. This also showed that Pat Cummins had the power to silence even the best Indian captain in an IPL match.
The IPL 2024 season was filled with several moments where teams and even players had to face backlash from the fans. Hardik Pandya’s name was also on the list for unexpectedly being the most hated player this season, following his announcement as the captain of the Mumbai Indians along with his return to the team. He received loud “Boos” from the crowd wherever he went to play.
But it took an unexpected turn when Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals faced each other at the Wankhede Stadium. During the toss, when Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya were on the field, fans booed Hardik loudly to an extent, that even Sanjay Manjrekar was not able to listen clearly to what the players were saying on the mic. Along with that, fans also chanted Rohit Sharma’s name, showcasing how disappointed they were with Hardik’s captaincy.
Cricket is a game of emotions, and nowhere is that more evident than in the roaring stands of a packed stadium. While fan enthusiasm is an essential ingredient of the sport’s magic, moments like lollipop jibes, sandpaper stunts, jail jersey mockery, and loud boos remind us that passion can sometimes cross into provocation. However, it should also be noted that sometimes these playful taunts could have a huge impact on the mental health of the players and how they perform on the field.